And geoege a



(No Model.)

0. L. GLOUTMAN.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented Dec. 6,1881.

fnv'enior C'fiarZeJZ. C'louimdn.

6% t J I rmngww UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GHARDES L. GLOUTMAN, OF FARMINGTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO LEWIS R. WIGGIN, OF SAME PLACE, EDWARD F. COUCH, OF NEWBURY. PORT, MASSACHUSETTS, AND GEORGE A. JONES, OF FARMINGTON, NEW

HAMPSHIRE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 250,629, dated December 6, 1881. Application filed May 3, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES L. OLOUTMAN, of Farmington, of the county of Strafford and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway-Gar Oouplings; and I do hereby declare the same to be described in the following specification, and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2, an underside view, and Fig. 3 a longitudinal section,of two railway-car draw-bars and their connecting-link, and showing my invention applied to each of such draw-bars, such invention consisting in the combination, with the draw-bar, of an automatic link-holder and its supporter, substantially as described, arranged with such bar, and to operate essentially and for the purpose as hereinafter explained.

The object or purpose of the said automatic link-holder, which is wholly outside of the draw-bar, is to support the link of the drawbars in its horizontal or proper position for entering the mouth of and coupling with the pin of another or the fellow draw-bar.

In the drawings, A A are the two drawbars, and B their joining-link, while 0 and O are the pins for connecting the link and the draw-bars, such pins going down through the 0 draw-bars.

To the under side of each draw-bur there is applied and fastened a link-holder supporter, D, formed in manner as represented, it being recessed, as shown at a. It extends through the automatic link-holder E, in manner represented, such holder being a curved link, provided at its front end with a head or bunter, b, extending down from it,in manner as shown. The rear portion, 0, of the link is arranged at right angles to the curved side portions, d d,

of the link, and is formed in manner, as represented, to fit, or nearly fit, the recess a in the supporter, in order that when such part c is within such recess and against the lower side of the draw-bar the link-holder shall be in the position to support the link for it to enter a draw-bar in the process of coupling two cars provided with such draw-bars. When the linkholder is up for sustaining the link its rear portion, 0, is within the recess a. On the link being forced into a draw-bar the hunter of the link-holder will be carried against the said draW-bar,wherebythelink-holder will be crowded back and out of the recess a into thecurvetl recessfof the supporter, and will fall away from the link and into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3.

I would remark that prior to the coupling of the cars the pin of the draw-bar to receive the link should be drawn up and inclined within its hole, so as to rest in such inclined position. be thrown forward by the shock, and will fall down through the link, so as to connect it to.

the bar.

It will be seen that the link-holder and its supporter are wholly outside of the draw-bar, the supporter projecting from the lower side thereof. With the said link-holder and its supporter all necessity of holding up the link by the hand of an attendant, and accidents often resulting thereby, are avoided.

I claim- 1. In combination with the draw-bar, the automatic link-holder E and its supporter D, substantially as described, arranged with such bar, and to operate essentially and for the purpose as set forth.

2. The link-holder E, substantially as described, consisting of the link provided with the head or hunter b, and having the rear portion, 0, adapted to enter the recess a of the link-supporter and to operate therewith, essentially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The link-holder supporter D, provided with the recesses f and a arranged in it, substantially as represented, to operate with the link-holder, as set forth.

CHARLES L. OLOUTMAN.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, S. N. PIPER.

0n the cars coming together the pin will 

